Molding device having heating and cooling functions

Abstract

A molding device includes a lower die core assembly including a porous lower die core unit, an upper die core assembly including a porous upper die core, a heating assembly for heating the lower die core unit and the upper die core, and a control assembly operable to control temperature of an assembly of the lower die core unit and the upper die core to be direct proportional to a distance by which the upper die core is moved downwardly from a compression starting position where the upper die core comes into contact with the lower die core unit. The control assembly is further operable to control one of a heated gas and a cooled gas to be introduced into and discharged from the upper and lower mold core assemblies at different rates.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A molding device adapted to heat or cool a raw material, said molding device comprising:
 a lower die core assembly including a lower die core unit that defines a mold cavity, said lower die core unit being made of a porous material and including at least one internal loop adapted for one of a heated gas and a cooled gas to pass therethrough, said internal loop including an inlet and an outlet;   an upper die core assembly detachably connected to said lower die core assembly and including an upper die core that covers the mold cavity, said upper die core being made of a porous material and including an upper die core passage adapted for one of the heated gas and the cooled gas to pass therethrough, said upper die core passage including an inlet and an outlet;   a heating assembly including a lower heating member that is mounted to said lower die core assembly for heating said lower die core unit, and an upper heating member that is mounted to said upper die core assembly for heating said upper die core; and   a control assembly connected to said lower die core assembly and said upper die core assembly,   wherein, when said upper die core of said upper die core assembly comes into contact with said lower die core unit of said lower die core assembly at a compression starting position, said upper die core of said upper die core assembly is operable to move toward said lower die core unit by a compressing distance to cover said mold cavity;   wherein said control assembly is operable to control temperature of an assembly of said lower die core unit and said upper die core to be directly proportional to a distance by which said upper die core of said upper die core assembly is moved downwardly from the compression starting position, and is operable to control the one of the heated gas and the cooled gas to be introduced into and discharged from an assembly of said upper and lower mold core assemblies in a first period and a second period;   wherein, in the first period, one of the heated gas and the cooled gas is introduced into said internal loop and said upper die core passage through said inlets of said internal loop and said upper die core passage and is discharged from said internal loop and said upper die core passage through said outlets of said internal loop and said upper die core passage; and   wherein, in the second period, one of the heated gas and the cooled gas is introduced into said internal loop and said upper die core passage through said inlets of said internal loop and said upper die core passage and is discharged from pores of said lower die core unit and said upper die core.   
     
     
         2 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said control assembly includes
 a heating valve unit that is connected to said inlets of said internal loop and said upper die core passage and that is operable to introduce the heated gas into said internal loop and said upper die core passage,   a cooling valve unit that is connected to said inlets of said internal loop and said upper die core passage and that is operable to introduce the cooled gas into said internal loop and said upper die core passage,   two sensors that are respectively connected to said lower die core unit and said upper die core and that respectively detect the temperatures of said lower die core unit and said upper die core,   at least two valves that are respectively connected to said outlets of said lower die core unit and said upper die core, each of said valves including an opening, and   a controller that is electrically connected to said heating valve unit, said cooling valve unit, said sensors and said valves, and that is operable to control said openings of said valves to open or close.   
     
     
         3 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 said control assembly further includes a mist valve unit that is connected to said inlets of said internal loop and said upper die core passage and that is operable to introduce a low temperature mist into said internal loop and said upper die core passage;   said controller is further electrically connected to said mist valve unit and is further operable to control the gas flow of the cooled gas and the low temperature mist in said lower die core assembly and said upper die core assembly in a third period; and   in the third period, the cooled gas and the low temperature mist are introduced into said internal loop and said upper die core passage through said inlets of said internal loop and said upper die core passage and is discharged from said pores of said lower die core unit and said upper die core, temperature of the low temperature mist being lower than that of the cooled gas.   
     
     
         4 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said lower die core assembly further includes a lower mold seat on which said lower die core unit is disposed, said upper die core assembly further including an upper mold seat on which said upper die core is disposed, said lower mold seat and said upper mold seat being made of steel, said lower heating member being a high-frequency coil and being mounted to said lower mold seat, said upper heating member being a high-frequency coil and being mounted to said upper mold seat. 
     
     
         5 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said lower die core unit and said upper die core are made of copper, said heating assembly further including a lower magnetic conducting layer that is in contact with said lower die core unit and that is located within the electromagnetic induction range of said lower heating member, said heating assembly further including an upper magnetic conducting layer that is in contact with said upper die core and that is located within the electromagnetic induction range of said upper heating member. 
     
     
         6 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said heating assembly further includes a lower shielding layer that is disposed between said lower mold seat and said lower heating member, and an upper shielding layer that is disposed between said upper mold seat and said upper heating member. 
     
     
         7 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said lower die core unit includes a mold plate that is mounted to said lower mold seat, and at least two lower die cores that surround a central axis, said lower die core assembly further including at least two positioning blocks that are disposed on said mold plate of said lower die core unit, each of said positioning blocks including a positioning block passage, each of said lower die cores including a lower die core passage and being disposed between said positioning blocks, said mold plate including a mold plate passage, said lower die core assembly being convertible between a closed state, where said lower die core passage of each of said lower die cores is fluidly communicated with said positioning block passages of said positioning blocks, and an open state, where said lower die cores are spaced apart from each other, and said lower die core passage of each of said lower die cores is not fluidly communicated with said positioning block passages of said positioning blocks. 
     
     
         8 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein:
 said lower die core unit of said lower die core assembly further includes at least two sliding blocks that are respectively connected to said lower die cores, each of said sliding blocks having an engaging portion that is formed at an upper end of said sliding block;   said upper die core assembly further includes at least two engaging members that are mounted to said upper mold seat;   said upper die core assembly is convertible between a lifted state, where said engaging members are spaced apart from said engaging portions of said sliding blocks, and a lowered state, where said upper die core assembly is connected to said lower die core assembly;   when said upper die core assembly is converted from the lifted state into the lowered state, said engaging members move to respectively contact and push said engaging portions of said sliding blocks so as to move said sliding blocks and said lower die cores toward the central axis such that said lower die core assembly is converted into the closed state.   
     
     
         9 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein, when said upper die core of said upper die core assembly is at the compression starting position, said engaging members are respectively in contact with said engaging portions of said sliding blocks. 
     
     
         10 . The molding device as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising a biasing assembly that includes a plurality of sliding members and a plurality of resilient members, each of said sliding members movably extending into said lower mold seat and being fixedly connected to a corresponding one of said sliding blocks, each of said resilient members being disposed between a respective one of said sliding members and said lower mold seat and pushing a corresponding one of said sliding blocks connected to a corresponding one of said sliding members away from the central axis.